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The Only Good Necroterran
The Only Good Necroterran is the fifth episode of Ben 10: Road Trip's first season. It was written by Aaron. Ben rushes to the Anur System in pursuit of Timekiller, MALtruant, and Albedo. In his hunt, he finds a Necroterran posing as a doctor. Plot Lightning strikes the dying soil of an alien world, its bizarre two-headed natives vanish as they flee from the cybernetic remains of a small group of Tetramands. Behind them, MALtruant leads the purge of the Sentientsapiens from this rock once considered their's. A brown-skinned lizard with sharp shoulders and metal augments running from their brain down their spine approaches. A pair of wires holds an eye in its forehead open, with its two other eyes withered into nothing. The creature, an Ornithis, addresses MALtruant with a stuttering and artificial voice. Its mouth does not move, the voice comes straight from its throat. Ornithis Degradation: "Hail, Master. No Sentientsapien lifeforms detected within planetary system." MALtruant: "Excellent. Send the signal, let Timekiller know where we are." Ornithis Deg.: "Understood, Master." The poor abomination taps a series of buttons embedded into a metal plate strapped to its chest. Orniththis Deg.: "Signal transmitted." It steps back. The Tetramands turn to face MALtruant, and stand to attention. Suddenly, with a blue flash, Timekiller appears. Timekiller: "Good timing, as always." He looks around. Timekiller: "Techadon cyborgs? So those Lenopans were ours?" MALtruant, laughing: "Mine, Timekiller. You get the Time Breakers, the Degradations are mine. Stolen from the peak of the Heaven Wars! Haha! So, how goes your siege on the Dimension Delta?" Timekiller: "Funny you should ask. I just beat up Professor Paradox and Ben Prime just accidentally destroyed my favourite Time Breaker while trying to be clever and save him. So, in short, I suppose I lost. But in another sense, I made Ben cry so that's a win in my book. Oh and there was also this ordeal with a pink glowing freak from far beyond our multiverse, which was... interesting." MALtruant: "Well then it's a good thing I moved your conversion chamber here, you'll have much more room to store spare units ready for deployment." Timekiller: "Pardon? You moved my base of operations here?" He looks around. Timekiller: "Where is here? Besides some dying, desolate rock in Dimension Gamma-Gamma-Gamma slash Timeline 32." MALtruant: "This was once a planet called Dischronia. Even now its residents flee across the multiverse to warn others of their kind. Now, this planet shall be our base of operations." Timekiller: "Why the hell did you conquer a planet full of dimension hoppers in my name?" MALtruant: "I did it for you- or more realistically, us- because you helped me. You helped me, and you were ruthless about it. I see hope in you, more so than anyone I've ever abused before. YOU have the drive to coexist with me when this is done. So because I like you, I'm helping you." Timekiller: "And the more prudent part of my question?" MALtruant: "Because we needed a planet like this one, a weakness in spacetime, to make launching our assaults easier. And the nature of the locals means that when they flee, others will flee in other timelines. Effectively, I've sown chaos across the multiverse in a fashion hard to trace back here." Timekiller: "Oh? Truly brilliant, MALtruant! Messes that tidy themselves so neatly are something we could use more of! Now! Where is Albedo?" Scene 1 The Stardust hangs low over a city on the planet Anur G'rrnay, before seeing a starship landing port and heading for it. As soon as this ship touches down, Fanfare bursts out. Pilots and mechanics of various Anurian races watch as the robotic alien rushes into the sky. Once there, he shifts immediatley into Hivemind to get around Fanfare's blindness. Hivemind's body mass disperses into a light cloud of insects as he looks about desperately. The city about him was a stunning metropolis. Three huge white metal pyramids of ascending size stand in the centre of the civilisation, the streets stretching out for miles in all directions are a technological paradise standing in total contrast to the medieval backstreets of Anur Transyl. Beyond the city lies nothing but desolate lifeless plains. The Anur star hangs high in the bright pink sky. Ben retreats back to the ground to find SD-1 waiting for him outside the Stardust. Sadie: "Find what you were looking for?" Hivemind: "Not really. We think we should head into the city. No doubt if one of Timekiller's friends tries to start something they'll want to make a scene." A small group approaches Ben and Sadie. Hivemind turns to greet them. The group consists of numerous Transylians, a Loboan, and a single Ectonurite near the back. One of the Transylians leads them. Hivemind: "Let us guess, no outsiders?" A small Transylian speaks first. Transylian: "You read my mind." Hivemind: "Listen, we're here on very important business. You ever heard of Ben 10 before?" Transylian: "Who hasn't? Doesn't mean you're welcome here." Hivemind: "We don't mean the Extranet hero, we mean the real Ben 10. The one who destroyed High Ectolord Zs'skayr and banished Lord Transyl?" An Ectonurite near the back speaks up. Ectonurite: "I loved that arc!" Transylian: "The fuck are you talking about?" A Loboan elbows him in the ribs. Loboan: "Dude! We were just on Anur Transyl! Weren't you listening to anything that Viktor guy had to say?" Hivemind: "Oh Viktor? We got off on the wrong foot but the man knows where his loyalties are. How's he doing?" Sadie, cutting in with an imitation cough: "Ben while I appreciate your capacity to make friends we are here to try and thwart a group of time travellers so we really need to start hunting." Hivemind: "Shit you're right. It's hard to think straight as Hivemind sometimes." With a green flash, Ben shifts out of the transformation. Ben: "You guys alright if I borrow one of your races? I don't want to get stopped by every xenophobe on the streets." Transylian: "Literally what does that mean?" Ben: "I'll take that as a yes. Ozai, could you scan one of them?" Ben holds out his wrist, the Omnitrix core glows yellow as a strip of light passes of the Ectonurite, Transylian, and Loboan. The core retracts, calculating the newfound information, and a second later the dial returns to its green colouration with an informative pinging noise. Ozai: "Direct scan successful. 3 DNA samples added to playlist 2." Ben: "Okay, over-achiever." Ben, talking to the crowd again: "So do I get a free visitors pass?" The crowd mumbles to itself in general agreement. Ben: "Okay, thanks!" He begins to set off for the city proper, with Sadie trailing not far behind. Ben brings his Type-2 Omnimatrix to bear and opens the selection dial. He presses one of the two buttons beneath the raised dial, jumping immediately to the next screen. The Hologram of Killermari floats above his wrist and he turns the dial. The figure disappears and an Ectonurite phantom materialises in its place. He scrolls once more, shifting to the hologram of a Transylian and he slams the core down. His muscle mass grows instantly, as his height raises to be 8 foot tall. Two large pylons emerge from his back as metal bolts begin to jut out of his moulding and decaying flesh. His black boots are heavy, leaving large prints in the ground as he walks. His forearms are enclosed in strong steel gauntlets. He and Sadie leave the shipyard, entering a long and street surrounded either side by tall, rounded square buildings. Frankenstrike: "Ahh this feels just like putting on an old suit that I never got the chance to wear. It's too small. I never did really like this alien. Hey, Ozai?" Ozai: "Yes Ben?" Frankenstrike: "Is there anyway to keep these aliens unlocked, while making sure I won't accidentally use them?" Sadie regards Ben with a look of disgust. Ozai: "Yes, there is a specially-made 'Civilian Playlist' for holding aliens not useful for combat. This playlist cannot be opened accidentally, so keeps aliens with no use out of your way. Examples include the Churls and Revonnahganders, whose abilities are not beyond human capacities." Frankenstrike: "So the aliens in there are meant to be hard to access?" Ozai: "That is the case, yes." Frankenstrike: "Can you please move Frankenstrike and Blitzwolfer to the civilian playlist? They're useful today but not really for anything else." Ozai: "Done." Sadie: "That's rather harsh. And probably racist, too." Frankenstrike: "Look, this form is just a weaker Powerhouse. And Blitzwolfer is just a physically stronger Echo Echo, I'd rather just have Echo Echo." Sadie: "You don't have access to Echo Echo." Frankenstrike: "No but I will eventually." Sadie: "Okay then lock MindMatter into the civilian playlist too. He's just a weaker Gravattack." Frankenstrike: "No. I actually like MindMatter. What's your problem?" Sadie: "The Omnitrix was designed to let you transform into any race you can find, and here you are deciding that you never again want to be some of those races? It was made to end racism, and yet here you are?" Frankenstrike: "Listen. When I see aliens, I see people. I used to see villain, I'm not going to pretend I've never been racist before, but now I see people. But when I think about who I''' am going to be, there are some races I just don't like being. I can't tell you how many fights I've lost because I had access to an alien that wasn't useful. That's the point of the civilian playlist, and that's what I'm going to use it for." Sadie: "Then what about Grimstone?" Frankenstrike: "That's a very good point. Ozai; move Grimstone to the civilian playlist." Ozai: "Grimstone genetic sample moved to civilian playlist. Playlist 1 supplemented with Chimera Sui Generis DNA sample. Playlist 2 collapsed." Frankenstrike: "Happy?" Sadie: "Not even remotely." Frankenstrike: "Yeah well I don't think those guys are either." He points at a small gathering of Thep Kufans who regard Sadie with a hostile glare. Frankenstrike: "Here..." Sadie turns back around to face Ben. Frankenstrike had stopped a few steps back, Kneeling down and with one arm lowered to the floor, his palm flat facing upwards. Frankenstrike: "..Climb on. They're not gonna try anything if I'm protecting you." She hesitated, but did as she was told. Sadie: "You still want to protect me even though we just had an argument?" Frankenstrike: "You call that an argument? Me and Gwen used to have way worse disagreements back on Earth. If one of us wasn't crying by the end, it wasn't a real argument. But we still loved each other, as families should." Sadie: "I was programmed to feel emotions, but I still don't understand them. You natural-borns seem so weird to me." Frankenstrike: "That's because you're a week old. It's got nothing to do with you being a robot." He stops in his track. Frankenstrike: "Wow. I forgot you were only a week old." Sadie: "It feels like longer." Scene 2 With a red flash, a black metal platform materialises above a large plaza at the foot of one of the huge white pyramids. The passerbys turn and watch as the platforms lowers itself and those standing atop it come into view. A human, clad in black and red fabrics with a chunky purple metal chestplate locked over his upper torso, and a small squadron of Velosabre cyborgs behind him. The platform comes at a rest above . The white-haired human begins to address the growing crowd as a white-dressed arrives with a blue robot sitting on his shoulder. Frankenstrike: "Looks like we found him." Albedo: "People of Anur G'rrnay! I come to you with a proposal!" Crowd, muttering amongst itself: "Hey is that Ben Tennyson?" Albedo: "I am in need of Ectonurite volunteers, to be a part of something greater!" There is a pause as Albedo waits for the now curious crowd to settle down. Albedo: "A chance to become like me! A chance to make history in the name of your people! A chance to serve the great Timekiller and become one of his Time Breaker!" Frankenstrike: "Oh to fuck with this." Sadie: "Ben you have to stop him." Ben picks Sadie up off if his shoulder and lowers her to the ground. Frankenstrike: "I'm going to. Stay here, and stay safe." Ben taps the Omnitrix symbol on his left pectoral, and instantly transforms into the newly-scanned Ghostfreak. He floats invisibly towards Albedo. Albedo: "With powerful new time abilities rivalling those of the Chronosapiens, you will join us in our Time War to rewrite history in our favour! Just imagine a timeline where the Vladats never rose to power! A timeline without the livestock camps of Anur Transyl! A universe where the Milligans were never wiped out! How about I show you what that looks like?" He pulls the Negativitrix to bear and selects his alien, before a red flash grows him into a humanoid shark. Overbite: "Behold, what the Millganites would have become!" The crowd gasps. Overbite: "But they could only become this if you help us save them!" The crowd begins to cheer, before Ghostfreak materialises only a few feet in front of Albedo. "Now that's Ben Tennyson!" someone exclaims. Silence befalls the plaza. Ghostfreak: "What the hell are you up to, Albedo?" Overbite: "This is a recruitment drive, Ben. Timekiller needs soldiers." Ghostfreak: "You're really not making your allegiances obvious." Overbite: "Think about it, Ben, why Ectonurites?" Ghostfreak: "I'm thinking I'm not gonna let your take anyone. I don't care what species you're looking for." Overbite, sighing: "Then I'm sorry, but I need some victories if I want Timekiller to trust me." With a slap of the Negativitrix emblem on his stomach, Albedo's body shifts back to more human-like proportions yet his height remains constant. His skin turns to a rocky armour, before a burning red energy consumes anything beneath it. He has become a Fulmini and immediately blasts Ben with a roaring shock of electricity that knocks him out immediately, causing him to detransform. He is sent flying backwards, but is caught in mid-air by a Thep Khufan's extended arms and lowered into the crowd, which is now seething with outrage. Sadie rushes towards him. Khufan: "Are you okay? A hero like you has to be okay, surely?" Sadie: "Ben! Are you alright?!" Ben, groaning: "Yeah. I'm fine." Ben slowly picks himself up as the crowd begins to disperse. There is a loud thud as Albedo jumps down to the purple grass. Ben, to the Khufan: "Get everyone out of here, now!" He stands defiantly, ignoring his pain. Ben: "That includes you, Sadie! Get everyone to safety!" Sadie: "On it!" Now with room to play with, Ben and Albedo face off against one another. Ben begins to walk, struggling, towards the towering rock monster. Albedo (alien): "Oh? You're approaching me?" Ben: "What the hell are you?" Albedo (alien): "I'll be your '''Electrockutioner for tonight." Ben, shouting: "Sadie! What the hell is he?" Sadie, shouting from afar: "I've no idea!" Electrockutioner: "It's no use, Ben. This alien doesn't exist in this universe! You can't find my weakness just by asking!" Ben: "Then I'll just guess." Ben brings his Omnitrix to bear and carefully makes his choice, he slams the dial down when the hologram shifts into Powerhouse. He charges Electrockutioner, and they both prepare to throw a powerful electrically-charged punch at the other when suddenly Ben is absorbed by a green glow. Albedo's red energy fist smashes into Frankenstrike's stitched-on jaw. The Transylian is sent flying, crashing into the ground and displacing a huge amount of dirt on impact. Carefully, he picks himself back up. His head, however, he doesn't bother raising to face Albedo again yet. Frankenstrike: "Ozai!" Ozai: "Yes?" Frankenstrike: "What the fuck was that?" Ozai: "Powerhouse is not totally immune to electrokinetic attacks. Frankenstrike took the blow of the punch, but is immune to the electricity." Frankenstrike: "What did I say about choosing my aliens for me?! Don't you ever do that again!" Electrockutioner: "Having difficulties over there?" Ben looks back up, and taps the dial on his chest. He becomes a rock monster of his own, albeit squat and glowing with orange magma. Geothermite crouches down, placing his palms to the G'rrnay surface. Albedo watches with confusion, before the ground explodes beneath ben- propelling him forwards. Without time to react, Albedo it bombarded with a hail of explosives as Geothermite flies past. Ben lands and follows up with a second volley, this time from the ground, before Electrockutioner can recover. Albedo responds by building up a powerful charge, before unleashing it in all directions to temporarily block the attacks and cause Ben to flinch. When Ben looks back, Albedo had disappeared. Geothermite looks about in a panic, before a sharp sword-like beak suddenly bursts through his chest from behind as colour returns to the alien flesh of Albedo's new monster. The hideous creature's cylindrical, lava-covered beak pulls out of Ben's back before waving itself clean. The alien has eight disc-like eyes, four on top of its flat head and four on the under side. It's long craning neck connects to a small body flanked either side by wide cape-like wings attached to the length forelegs of this bizarre extraordinary bird. The Vesuviusapien arches over in pain as the bird takes flight once more. The wound was not fatal, Ben quickly realised as his magma blood seeped into his hands. Albedo (alien): "How do you like this alien, Ben? The art of Espionage is something I always enjoyed dabbling in!" But Geothermite couldn't respond, his breathing was slow and heavy. Espionage made another lunge for Geothermite, but this time Ben was prepared. Albedo's long beak pierced Ben's right arm, but as it did Ben's entire body exploded brightly. Espionage was sent flying back, visible once more, as Geothermite was left standing and as strong as he had been before. Espionage: "Very clever..." Geothermite, struggling: "That means a lot coming from you. Not that I think you're smart, you're just very anal about intelligence." Espionage: "Yes, well now I'm going to be anal about putting your head through the ground." Geothermite: "Wha?--" Albedo shifts back into Electrockutioner, charges Geothermite, and double-hammer punches him straight downwards all in the span of only a few seconds. And, with a red flash, is proven the victor over an unconscious Ben Tennsyon. Scene 3 The feeling of being unconscious as a human was much more refreshing than being unconscious as Powerhouse because at least this time when he jolted awake he had the full control over his body to do so with. He absent-minded slapped away the grey hands hovering over his face. The short creature on his right hand side waddled away from the bedside. A large, soft white alien stands on the bottom left of the bed. Ben tries to identify the smaller alien. He places his hands on his temples as if to catch his head floating away from his body as he catches up with his own movement. ???: "Oh! Welcome back, uhhh, Ben?" The large alien addresses him as her small friend slips out of the room. ???: "You're probably wondering where you are?" Ben looks at her absently. She appears to be made of fluffy white pillows. Her eyes are a pale blue and she has no mouth as she speaks. ???: "I am Nurse Adria, welcome to my hospital." Ben: "Where...?" Adria: "Your friends brought you here. You took quite a beating, but strangely you seem unhurt?" Ben's brain starts to pull itself together. Visions of the fight return as he realises what had happened, followed by visions of waking up just now. He rushes to his feet and looks around discriminately. He was in a lone operating theatre, a mechanical light fixture hanging low over the bed he had been laid in acts as one of the few permanent features of the room. A wide double-door leads out into an open corridor. On the other side of the bed is a single door with no windows on. Adria: "They're outside right now. They're very worried about you." Ben: "Who was that?" Adria: "Who was who?" Ben, shouting: "SADIE!" SD-1 rushes into the room. Sadie: "Ben! You're awake!" Ben: "We've got a problem." Ben bolts for the single door on the far side of the room. Sadie and Adria chase after him. The door opens out into a large ward. Dozens of beds occupied with the sick and dying, most sleeping. A squat, triangle-headed alien with ash-black skin watches over one of the bedsides. But as the door bursts open it looks up in panic and backs away. Ben watches it keenly. Sadie pokers her head over his shoulder. Sadie, gasping: "Grimstone?" Ben grabs his watch, clicks open the selection dial, and flicks through his options. He presses the dial down and transforms instantly into MindMatter. Alien: "Please let's talk." MindMatter picks the alien up from afar. The small Necroterran has a lopsided face, three eyes on the right side each on top of each other and none on the left. It's body is scarred on one side. Ben floats ominously further into the room, closer to the small alien. Adria barges past Sadie, growing three tentacles out of her arm and grabbing MindMatter from the air. He instantly drops the Necroterran as any part of his crystalline body not now held by Adria falls to the floor. MindMatter, his voice distorted and fading: "OoOoH tHaT FeEls FUnnY." Adria: "I'll let you go when you promise not to attack the good doctor." Sadie: "Let him go!" Adria: "Or what?" Sadie punches Adria in the back of the head, but the punch lands softly. She responds by grabber the robot with her free hand. Sadie's face immediately goes blank, and her voice becomes a monotonous and continuous hum. MindMatter: "FiNe. FInE. We cAn taLK." Adria keeps to her word, and unhands the pair. Sadie's face returns to normal as MindMatter picks himself up- literally. Ben looks around again, and the small alien had fled. MindMatter: "Oh goddammit." Adria: "You should show more respect." MindMatter: "Who was that?" Adria: "That was your doctor. Your strength returned sooner than expected, but nevertheless it was thanks to her." MindMatter: "That was a Grimstone. They're very dangerous." Adria: "All surgeons know how best to stop the body from working." Sadie: "With respect Nurse, Ben's right. The DNA of their species destroys life on the cellular level. They're dangerous." MindMatter: "So please tell us where it went." Adria: "I will not tell you where she went. You'll just hurt her." MindMatter: "I just want to make sure she isn't planning on hurting anyone." Adria: "Oh! How dare you!" She gestures around the room. Patients, of all shapes, sizes, and species, rest peacefully in white bedsheets lined equidistant from one another long the edges of the room. Adria: "And how many among them dead?" The sheets on every bed rise and fall gently. Even on the beds with Ectonurites in, who Ben didn't even realise could breath. Sadie: "They all seem healthy, Ben." With a flash, Ben returned to his human form. He walks over to the bedside of one of them. Laying before him is a healthy, but elderly, Loboan. Her breathing is shallow, but still present. Ben: "I'm sorry. I've just had... a bad experience with her species. What's her name?" Adria's stance becomes warmer in response to Ben's new attitude. Adria: "Doctor Osiris. You've met others of her kind?" Ben: "I've been one of her kind. I didn't know what I was and I accidentally hurt someone close to me. What is she?" Adria: "I don't know. I met her when I first moved to G'rrnay. She came from the dead planet, that's about all I know." Sadie: "Why do you two own a hospital together?" Ben: "Wait Sadie how did you bring me here?" Sadie: "Set brought you here, I followed. Set was the Khufan who helped us when Albedo showed up, by the way." Adria: "She always wanted to help people. In my culture, it is customary to give people presents when you want to court them so I bought her this building to be her hospital. She accepted. I'm the front, the patients never get to see their doctor because they wouldn't understand her." Ben: "But I thought Anurians were xenophobic?" Adria: "They are. But as you know they can come to trust outsiders they like. Something about Osiris inspires fear in them, though." Sadie: "Is the dead planet Anur Vladias?" Adria: "Yes." Sadie, to Ben: "I think the Necroterrans may have evolved from the Vladats." Ben: "But the Vladats were wiped out entirely. They scorched Vladias so thoroughly that life would never return." Adria: "And yet that's where she was born. She uses her powers to heal where she can, using the strength of the healthy to keep the weak alive long enough for us to patch them up. Those without hope of survival come here to be comfortable in their last days. As soon as they can no longer remain alive without pain, Osiris drains their life. It's a painless death, and she would never feed on the unwilling. The dying are the only ones who she lets see her face." Ben: "She can heal people? Grimstone can heal people?" Adria: "She can. She's much better at it than I am." Ben reaches for his Omnitrix and presses the button that accesses the Civilian Playlist. He scrolls through to find Grimstone, and presses the dial back down. Grimstone: "Can she teach me?" Osiris: "Why would I help you?" The three turn to see Osiris emerge from underneath one of the beds. Osiris: "You tried to hurt me." She walks over to her girlfriend, who puts her arm over her shoulders. Grimstone: "I'm sorry. I didn't understand you. I don't understand you. I don't know what we can do." Osiris: "And armed with your empty knowledge you judged me anyway? Even after I had tried to help you? Of anyone, I thought you might have been understanding. That's the only reason I was there when you woke up. But as soon as you looked at me I knew you wouldn't talk before you acted." With that, visions of his past flickered through Ben's mind: How he lashed out at his friends at the death of No-Watch Ben. How he rushed in to 'liberate' Vilgaxia only to be kicked out by the people he was trying to save. How he ran in head-first to fight Apollo in his own starship and nearly got himself killed. This wasn't even a recent development. This had been a constant throughout his life. Grimstone: "That's not new... I'm sorry I keep trying to be better but I'm not doing a good job." His head drops in shame. Osiris: "Admitting your flaws already makes you better than most of the people I have met in my life." There is a moment of silence. Grimstone: "Triedge..." Osiris: "Pardon?" Grimstone: "You're a triage, with a triangular head. If I got this alien completely wrong and need to relearn him, then I should rename him. I want to name him Triedge." Adria and Osiris chuckle, though the joke is lost on Sadie. On the far side of the room one of the patients splutters awake in a fit of coughing and the two doctors rush to his side. Ben and Sadie follow suit. Adria rushes to the bedside first, placing her hand on the dying Transylian's forehead and putting him back to sleep instantly. Adria: "We don't want anyone to know about Osiris, so I use my abilities as a Circadian to keep them asleep while she is tending to them." The sickly Transylian has paper-thin skin through which his veins appear as black vines creeping across his body. Osiris: "And then we make the choice..." Grimstone/Triedge: "What choice?" Osiris: "He's dying. He's not strong enough to last on his own. We can borrow the life force of another patient to keep him alive, but it will not last. We have to choose whether it's worth keeping him alive or ending his suffering now." Sadie: "You can't just choose who lives and who dies!" Triedge: "Sadie's right. No one has that right." Adria: "But surely it would also be evil to force someone to suffer instead of allowing them to die peacefully when their time comes? That's the word you were thinking wasn't it? 'Evil'?" Osiris: "If one has the power to save someone, you should. That's something you and I both know. Am I right, Ben?" Triedge: "And you cannot justify suffering just to try and keep people safe. I had a similar dilemma when I gave up the Ultimatrix. Which reminds me..." He sighs and turns to Sadie. Triedge: "What happened with Albedo?" Sadie: "He left after he beat you. I assume he's still trying to recruit more soldiers." Triedge: "Shit. We need to stop him." Adria: "Half of this hospital are victims of his first attack, you included." Osiris: "I would be very grateful if you could get him off of my planet. I'll even forgive you for trying to hurt me." Triedge: "Deal. Thank you, both of you, for your help, hospitality, and teaching me more about myself and my aliens. We'll be back when we're done." As Ben and Sadie walk to the exit of the building, Ben holds the Omnitrix dial on his chest and whispers. Ben: "Ozai, could you move Triedge back to Playlist 1 for me?" Scene 4 Ben- human once more- and Sadie burst out into the densely packed streets. They track their way back to the plaza, asking everyone they see for any sign of Albedo. Eventually they are led to a back alley, where a group of Ectonurites are being directed through a portal in time and space. The four Velosabre Degradations stand either side of the portal. Albedo stands with his back to the entrance of the alleyway, watching as the Ectonurites float through the phantom blue doorway. Taking advantage of this, Ben motions for Sadie not to move. He runs towards Albedo, and as Albedo turns to meet him he switches instantly into Powerhouse for a devastating electro-punch that launches him towards the portal- which dissipates before the villain can reach it. He crashes into the wooden wall with a thud. The Degradations step out of formation to barricade Albedo. Powerhouse stands and crackles as he builds power to fight his way through them, but stops when ahead of him a fast-moving blur disappears into the sky above. Ben hesitates, his dome-like head panning wildly trying to see what had just escaped him. Too late does he realise that it was Espionage, who sinks his sharp claws into Powerhouse's shoulders and lifts him off of the ground. Sadie: "Ben!" Powerhouse: "Bzzzzzch-ka!" Powerhouse flails impotently, finding Albedo's grip unfailing. Ben unleashes a shocking blast of electricity, but Espionage is unfazed. The claws release abruptly, and Powerhouse drops onto the roof of one of the white metal buildings lining the nearby street. It bends and crumples beneath Ben's weight. He brings himself back to stand, and searches around desperately for Espionage. Even his electrosensory cannot find Albedo- he moves too far too fast for Powerhouse to be able to read the pathetically low amount of power flowing through a living being. Luckily, He develops a much better plan. But he needs to be quick in case Albedo sees through it or strikes too quickly. Meanwhile, back on ground level, the four Velosabre approach Sadie. In sync they deploy their sharp and shining metal bone-swords from their right arms. The technological abominations each vary in skin tone, but their metal components are identical: Large forearm shields from which the upgraded bone-swords protrude, form-fitting cybernetic meshes bending around their heads and down their necks and leading into a carapace-like series of plates over their torsos similar in aesthetic to more modern Techadon technology. They almost resemble the Time Breakers. They tower over Sadie, easily doubling her in height. Sadie knows she isn't going to be able to wait for Ben to save her- not this time. She's going to have to fight on her own. Fortunately she wasn't unprepared. The Velosabre Degradations strike forwards in formation, the front two striking down with their right arm blades in perfect synchronisation as if unable to act alone. She dodges easily, shuffling forwards around the attack as the front two cyborgs slowly ready for their next attack. Sadie uses her left hand to hold one of the Degradations' arms out of the way as she holds her right hand up to its chest. Bright blue energy, identical in colour to that of her face, instantly flows through her arms and into the Velosabre. It reels back robotically, unable to move in grand or smooth gestures it twitches without control. She pulls away, her arms still glowing blue. The creature stops moving all of a sudden, and the other three now watch it closely for its next move. Espionage: "You were an idiot to try to stop me the first time Ben! Twice only makes you moreso the fool!" And that's what he was waiting for. Although Ben had failed to prevent Albedo from stabbing his long beak through Powerhouse multiple times now, that voice of Albedo swooping away was enough for him to know that the perfect time was now. With a flash he transforms into Fanfare. The blind mechanical alien had exactly the advantage Ben needed- he saw the world through the movement of the air around him. Espionage prepares for another attack, but Fanfare sides-steps it. Shock, Espionage turns back to Ben to see his target's own reaction in hopes that the dodge had been a fluke. But when he instead sees is Fanfare's eyeless face looking directly back at him. Albedo floats there in disbelief for a moment as Ben points both of his bladed hands towards him. Ben begins his counter-attack, his spinning fan-blades now giving him control over the air surrounding Albedo, he picks up his opponent with the invisible pull of the air itself and slams Espionage into the wall of a nearby building. Fanfare: "You're calling me a fool? You've lost every fight you've ever had against me and been bitten in the ass by every villain you've ever aligned with! Why are you still working with Timekiller?" A red flash flares through the dust cloud that had formed around Albedo's crash. Ben floats down into the building, his hands acting as helicopter blades. ???: "I already told you I don't trust him as far as I could throw him. In my human form, that is. I just need him to trust me. And YOU are getting in my way!" Fanfare: "Yeah well some things never change." Sadie steps back from the four Techadon Degradations before the one she had touched rears around and plants one of its long metal claws through the chest of the Velosabre behind it. SD-1 waves her hands around as she influences its actions. It pulls the blade out and swings around on one foot, then slices the blade- now glowing with red energy- through the target's neck, decapitating it instantly. Sadie, flinching hard: "WOAH HOLY SHIT!" Blood splatters all over the remaining three cyborgs as the headless body drops to its knees, then falls sidewards to the floor. Sadie herself is also coated in a flick of blood from when her controlled cybrorg had swung its sword around. The two remaining opposing Degradations turn to face the new challenger. They raise their right arms with swords drawn. They swing down on Sadie's cyborg, who raises both of its own boneswords to intercept the attacks. It works, catching both of the attacks before they could land, but the Cyborg drops dead anyway as the other two had extended the swords in their left arms through its chest while it and Sadie had been distracted with the first attack. Fanfare's marches through the dust unimpeded, he sees the environment around him perfectly. Deeper inside the wooden attic he finds Albedo now as a buff humanoid not much taller than a human, but with a rounded head and small lumps scattered over the body. It takes him a second, but Ben recognises this form. Fanfare: "Gutrot?" Albedo perks up, he had been waiting for Ben to follow him but couldn't see through the dark and the dust that he already had. ???: "I was hoping you'd recognise at least one of these aliens! But 'Gutrot'? Really? I think I'll stick with Biohazard!" Ben watches as Biohazard raises his arms out forwards, a clear sign of attack. Fanfare: "What are you even trying to do? Suffocate me? Poison me?" Biohazard: "Do you really think I'm dumb enough to try poisoning a robot?" Fanfare: "I dunno you teamed up with Vilgax like three separate times so I wouldn't put it past you." Biohazard: "It's an acidic gas!" Fanfare: "Does acid even affect metal?" Biohazard: "Don't you know anything about chemistry?" Fanfare: "It is literally my worst subject." Biohazard: "Well then I hope you enjoy the salt!" It was at this moment that Fanfare noticed that a strange rust-like substance was forming across his body. It jammed his hand blades and made moving nearly impossible. Biohazard: "Oh, and the hydrogen gas. You can thank your Vesuviusapien form for the inspiration for this!" Biohazard switches into Electrockutioner once more, and with a single spark destroys the entire attic. To clarify, the reaction between certain acids and metals creates salt, with hydrogen as a byproduct. Hydrogen is highly explosive. The pair are launched in separate directions and into different streets. The remaining two Velosabre approach Sadie, they pull back their hands closest to one another before striking forwards to punch her as their boneswords extend out for a killing blow... except they aimed for her face, which is a soft-light hologram and therefore intangible. She grabs both of their hands and transfers the blue power into them before dodging back instantly as her influence over one another cause them to swing for each other almost reactively with their blades glowing bright red. They are both cut in half immediately. Sadie smiles briefly, admiring that she had held her own against such overwhelming odds. Then her smile drops as she realises the horror she has just caused. She jumps at the sound of an explosion somewhere overhead. With nothing to do and no where in particular to go, she waited around for a second. Before long, Albedo, back in his human form, sprints around the corner at the end of the alleyway. He stares in horror at what remains of his bodyguards. Albedo: "You fuck! What did you do to my soldiers?!" Sadie, sarcastically: "Whoops." Albedo: "Those were the only four Velosabre Degradations ever made! How did you even beat them?" Sadie, looking down at the mess of blood and metal: "Their A.I. was complete shit honestly. They felt more like video game characters. Oh! Is that why Ben enjoys Sumo Slammers so much?" The villain reaches for his Negativitrix. Albedo: "I'll turn you into scrap for that!" But before he can make his choice, two huge green hands grab him from either side. He is pulled into the air and shocked relentlessly. Frankenstrike throws him across the alley. Sadie: "Ben! ...I thought you hated that alien?" Frankenstrike: "I'm not a fan of him, but every alien has its uses. Like being undetectable in a crowd of Transylians. Osiris was right, I was too quick to judge." He marches through the dark, narrow alley towards Albedo. The human rushes to his feet. Seeing no way to win now, he rushes for his watch yet again. Frankenstrike speeds up. Albedo pushes the Negativitrix dial down and shapeshifts into the squat brown Doormensional. Ben picks him up by his left with one hand. Doormensional: "You better not have ruined this for me. You absolute idiot." With a purple glow the Time Breaker vanishes into thin air. Frankenstrike is taken aback, before reverting to his human form and resigning to his victory. Ben: "You alright?" Sadie: "Surprisingly, yes. Those Velosabre weren't as strong as I thought they were going to be." Ben: "Velosabre? That's the uhh..." He looks at the four bodies scattered about. Sadie: "Yes, them." Ben: "Well done, didn't think you had it in you." Sadie: "Thank you, neither did I." The pairs walks out into the street. Sadie: "So what now?" Ben: "I want Osiris to teach me how to properly use Grimsto- uh, I mean Triedge. I wonder why Albedo gave up so easily? And why did he only want Ectonurites?" Sadie: "Well he's going to turn them into Time Breakers, right?" Ben: "I think so." Sadie: "The brainwashing won't take. That's why he wanted Ectonurites, so no one would be killed." Ben: "What do you mean?" Ozai: "Ectonurite consciousness is stored within their DNA, which in the past caused a breakout from the Prototype Omnitrix's on-board DNA storage. Security measures are now in place to prevent this." Ben: "Oh of course! How could I forget Zs'skayr? But that is interesting, though, cos it means Albedo really is playing two sides of the field. I wonder what he has planned?" Ben and Sadie approach the hospital, where this time they are welcomed with open arms. Osiris kept her side of the promise, for a job well done in removing Albedo. Noteworthy Events *MALtruant conquers an alternate Dischronia and turns it into Timekiller's Base. *Ben learns the true nature of Grimstone's powers, and renames him Triedge as a result. Minor Events *Ghostfreak, Blitzwolfer, and Frankenstrike were re-unlocked by Ben and make their Earth-1010 debuts. *Grimstone is renamed Triedge. *The Civilian Playlist gets mentioned and used for the first time. **Frankenstrike and Blitzwolfer are added to the playlist. **Triedge is temporarily moved to the Civilian Playlist. ***Killermari is briefly moved to Playlist 1 to fill the gap. *Electrockutioner and Espionage make their debuts. Characters *Ben Tennyson *Sadie *Ozai *Nurse Adria *Doctor Osiris *Anur G'rrnay Civilians **Shipyard Group **Set **Patients *Sentientsapien Civilians **No-Watch Ben (cameo, via flashback) Villains *MALtruant *Techadon Degradations **Tetramand Degradations (first appearance) **Ornithis Degradation (first appearance) **Velosabre Degradations (first appearance, deaths) *Timekiller *Albedo *Apollo (cameo, via flashback) Aliens Used By Ben Tennyson *Fanfare (x2) *Hivemind *Frankenstrike (first appearance in Earth-1010, x3, second time was unintended) *Ghostfreak (first appearance in Road Trip) *Powerhouse (x2, first time was cameo) *Geothermite *MindMatter *Triedge By Albedo *Overbite *Electrockutioner (debut, x3) *Espionage (debut, x2) *Biohazard (debut) *Doormensional Gallery OnlyGood.png|Sadie and her mind-controlled Velosabre Degradation immediately after decapitating one of the other cyborgs. Trivia *This episode aired during Shock Rock fest, along with the debut of Electrockutioner. *Timekiller directly refers to the events of the Project Deca episode Over the Revolution as the episode takes place in an alternate timeline of Ben 10: Reboot Revolution, but due to Chronosapiens being unique across the multiverse it features the same Timekiller as the main timeline events. *The title of this episode is a direct reference to the Doctor Who comic story The Only Good Dalek. *This episode was also particularly inspired by the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode The Times They Are A Changeling. category:Episodes category:Episodes of Ben 10: Road Trip category:Earth-1010 category:Ben 10: Road Trip Category:Alien Fest Category:Shock Rock Fest